Although many younger Millennials/Digital Natives may be less familiar with it, The WELL was the original online community/social media destination that was thriving long before any of us ever called any of this stuff “social media.”

I had the privilege of working for The WELL’s original professional services group, WELLEngaged (now Mzinga) in the mid-1990’s.

So, who cares about The WELL? You. Or, if you’re social media professional, you should.

Without The WELL, there would never have been a Facebook or a Twitter. Maybe an AOL…just maybe.

The WELL is to social media what Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly are to rock ‘n roll: there from the beginning. And, unlike those iconic fugures, The WELL is still alive and kicking, too.

For those who’d like to learn more, friend Katy Hafner’s groundbreaking WIRED article is as brisk and gut-wrenching a read now as it was when it was first published over 10 years ago: